Sanitary laying, setting, and hatching nest and brooding coop



April 14, 1925.

T. EWOLDT ET AL kSANITARY LAYING, SETTING, AND HATCHING NEST' AND BROODING COOP Filed May 22 1924 Patented Apr. 14, 1925.

UNITED staresY 'rnnononn nwoLnT, or rronsrnrn, AND

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JOI-IN A. HANSN, OF`KINGSL'EY, IOWA.

SANITARY LAYING, SETTING, ,AND HATGHING EEST AND BROODINGrv C001?.

Application fue@` Mayv 22,

have invented certain new and useful Inh provenients in Sanitary Laying, Setting, and Hatching Nests and Breeding Coops, ot which the following is a specification,

Our invention relates to a hens nest adapted for use for laying and setting hens, and also adapted to use as a brooding coop 4 for small chickens, and itis our object to provide such a nest which is of simple, durf able and inexpensive construction.

Another object is to provide in such a nest, a vconstruction whereby the nest may be very readily cleaned and disinfected.

Another object is to provide a nest hav ing a sloping rain-shedding roof or cover, the sides or' thenest being so shaped and formed that the nests may be produced from a standard sheet of sheet metal without causingk any waste.

A still further object is to provide a combination step orplattorm and closure for the entrance opening of the nest, together with means for securing the same in either o1 two positions so as to serve either of the purposes.

Our invention preferably employs, in order to carry out the above objects, a construction wherein the body of the nest is tormed'of four sides, open at the top and bottom and partly open at the front, a re- `movable floor having a vertical front piece adapted to be secured to the sides by a sliding pin, so as to hold the floor in place, the l-loor being supported upon aninturned bead l'ormed on the lower edges of the sides,'and a platform member hinged to the front pieceand having a reinforcing rib or wire extended at its ends to form spring` arms adapted to engage the sides to hold the platform in either or its positions.

W'ith these and other objects in view, our invention consists in the construction, arrangementand combination of the various parts vof our4 device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in our claims and illustrated in the `accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of our nest,

1924. Serial No. 715,119.

the removable floor being shown partly removed in light dotted lines, and the platform being shown serving as avclosure, in heavy dotted lines.v

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional View, taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. fl.

Fig.- l is a detail view illustrating the plattorm hinge from the inside of the nest. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a piece of sheet metal, cut so as to form substantially all or the parts for two nests.

Fig. 6 is an elevation of a front oi the nest, and p Fig. 7 is a side view of a portion of the nest with the parts in an adjusted position. The four sides of our improved nest may be formed either from a continuous strip, A, or a strip, B, as illustrated in Fig. 5. The sides, 10, are cut on aslant at their upper edges, and the strip is bent so as to form the sides, 10, the front, 11, and the back, 12, as indicated by the dotted lines, 13, in Fig. 5. It will be seen that by cutting the sheet of metal so that in the strip, A, the front, 11, is at the end oli the strip, and in the strip, B, the back, 12, is at the end, the strip may be portion of vthe ventirely used. The front is eut away se as to leave the opening, 14, when the sides aref bent into assembled position,and the portion thus cut away may be utilized in making the step member which will be referred to hereinafter. f i

The upper edges of the sides, front and back, are rolled around the reinforcing wire, 15, which at the upper corners is Ilooped to provide the eyes, 16, from which the nest maybe supporte i rThe cover or root', 17, i'shinged totheiV back, 12, by means of the loops, 18, which receive the wire, 15. The cover is provided with down-turned lianges, 19, the "front flange being providedl with a lip, 20, which coacts with a spring latch clip, 21, fixed toi.

the -front, 11.

The lower edges of the sides and back are rolled around the reinforcing wire, 22,

which extends across the open space in front of the nest. The removable bottom, 23, rests upon the lower beaded ledges ot the sides `and back of the nest, and also upon the portion of the wire, 22, kextending across the front of the nest.

The bottom, 23, is provided with the upwardly-extending front piece, 25, which at its top is rolled to form a tubular sleeve portion, 26. Openings, 27, are provided in the sides, 10, adapted to register with the portion, 26, when the floor is in closed position, and a locking pin, 28, is provided which, when extended through the openings, 27, and tubular portion, 26, serves to lock the bottom in place and at the same time to brace the front portion. It will be seen that `the front piece, 25, being positioned between the sides, 10, braces them against inward movement..

. The platform, 29, is provided, with the hinge loops, 30, extended through slots, 31, in the piece, 25, and there secured by cotter pins, 32, or the like.

The metal of the platform, 29, atA its edges isrolled around the frame wire, 33, which is preferably of spring steel. The ends of the wire are extended and bent, kas at 34, so as jto reach, the lower edges of the sides, 10, at'a point spaced inwardly from the front, when the platform is in the raised position shown in heavy dotted lines `in Fig. 1, and on the ends of the wire are provided vthe hooked portions, 35, which engage the under edges of the sides, when the platform is raised. When the platform is in the position shown in full lines, the hooks, 35, are received in the openings, 36, and the platform is thus braced in such position.

The front piece, 25, may be provided with a longitudinal opening, 37, as shown in Fig. 6, which is closed bya sliding door, 38.

We provide the openings, 39, the purpose of whichwill be hereinafter disclosed.

The sides, 10, maybe provided with openings, 40, for Ventilating purposes.

In the practical use of our nest, for laying it `may be hung on suitably located nailsor screws spaced to receive the loops, 16. The platform, 29, is adjusted to thev horizontal position shown in Fig. 1, and the cover closed down. For the ordinary hen the opening, 14, provides sufficient entranceway, but the nest may also be utilized for larger hens, such as plymouth rocks, by lifting the cover, 17.

The hen is provided with a closed 'nest where she is substantially protected from disturbance from others, the restricted opening, 14E, serving to prevent ready acl cess of a second hen, and better laying is promoted in this Way.

The entrance, 14C, being narrow, would make it difficult for the hen to obtain access to the nest in the absence of the platform, 29. lVith this construction the hen can fly up to the platform,`29, and then very readily enter the nest through the restricted opening.

When it is desired to move the nest, it is simply lifted from its supporting pegs and may then be transferred to any new 1ocation, or disassembled for cleaning or disinfecting.

It is well known that the ordinary nest provides a ready breeding place for lice and mites, and it is ltherefore highly important that the nest be cleaned regularly.

Our nest is especially adapted to this purpose. It is only necessary to remove the nest, draw out the pin, 2S, and slide out the bottom, 23, as vindicated in xdotted lines in Fig. 1. The nesting material and of'fal is then readily dumped into airefuse pile, the bottom may be scraped, if necessary, and all of the partsidipiped in a cleaningand disinfecting or insecticidal solution. The nest may berleaned while supported on the Wall of thechickenfhouse, lifdesired, by removing the bottom,.raisingthecover and pouring the properv solution through :the shell.

When used for setting purposes, the hen may be confined by raising the platform, 29, so as to close the opening, 14. The arms, 34, are of spring material' so as to allow withdrawal of the hooks, 35, from the openings, 36, and to urge them under theedges of the sides, 10, for holdingvthe platform in such position.

'Vhen used as a brooder, the door, 38, may be partly opened in order to allow the little chicks to .pass .in and out, and the platform raised, if necessary or desirable, to lreep the hen imprisoned. The door, 38, may be dispensed with in `one form of our invention, and its purpose achieved by sliding the floor forwardly aidistance sufficient to leave apertures between the .endsof .the front piece, 25,.and .the sides,"10. In this position the iloormay be lockedbyinserting the hooks in the openings, 39. They-p0- sition is shown iniFig. 7. It will `beseen that the platformis maintained in vertical position so as to prevent escape of thehen.

Some changes may be madeiin the constructionand arrangement of the parts of our invention without departing from ,the real spirit and purpose of our invention, and it is our intention .tofcover by our claims any modified forms of structure or use kof mechanical equivalents which maybe reasonably included within theirscope.

"We claim as our invention:

1. A hens nest comprisinga body `portion having sides, back, andpartly open front, a bottom having a ,front piece adapted .to partly close the front, aplatformhingedvto said'front'piece, andresilient arms secured thereto and embracing the sides, said arms being provided with means toy engage the sides in various positions, the platformbeing positioned to swingfrom horizontal sition to vertical position for closing the opening in the front.

2. A hens nest comprisinga bodyportion having sides, back, and partly open front,

a reinforcing, inwardly-extending ange on the lower edges of the sides and back, a removable bottom supported on said flange, having a front piece adapted to partly close the front, aplatform hinged to said front piece., and resilient arms secured thereto and embracing the sides, said arms being provided with means to engage the sides, in various positions, the platform being positioned to swing from horizontal position to vertical position for closing the opening in the front. u

3. A hens nest `comprising a body portion having sides, back and part-ly open front, a

removable bottom having a front piece adapted to partly close the front, a sleeve on the upper edge of the front piece, the sides being provided with openings registering with said sleeve, and a looking pin received through said sleeve and openings, avplatform hinged to said front piece, and resilient arms secured thereto and embraoing the a platform hinged to said front piece, and resilent arms seoured thereto and embracing the sides, said arms being provided with means to engage the sides in various positions, the plat-form being positioned to swing from horizontal position to vertical posit-ion for closing the opening in the front.

5. A hens nest oomprisingva body portion having sides, back and partly open front, a bottom having a front piece adapted t-o partly olose the front, a sliding doo-r in said front piece, a platform hinged to said front piece, and resilient arms secured thereto and embracing the sides, said arms being provided with means to engage the sides in various positions, the platform being positioned to swing from horizontal .position to vertical position for -closing the opening in the front.

6. A hens nest comprising a body portion having sides, back and partly open front, a. removable bottom having a front piece adapted to part-ly close the front, a

sleeve on the upper edge of the front piece, a looking pin designed to be received in the sleeve and registering openings in the sides, and a platform hinged to the front piece adapted for adjustment to horizontal position or vertical position serving as a closure.

Signed at Kingsley, in the county of Plymouth, and State of Iowa this 13 day of May, 1924.

THEoDoRE EWOLDTQ a JOHN A. HANSEN. 

